I was welcomed as soon as I came in. Now I normally am just a steak guy. The owner said nope, you gonna try the brisket too. He da boss so I did.. The tacos were huge. I barely finished them. Anyway the tacos are freaking amazing. Sesame seed sauce bomb. Definitely coming back. read more

Tepalcates has officially earned the spot as my #1 taqueria in Chicago. From the moment you walk in, the service is outstanding, but the quality and freshness of the food are what truly set this place apart. The guacamole is easily some of the best I've ever had--exceptionally fresh, vibrant, and served with perfectly crisp, fresh chips. Even the horchata deserves recognition: rich, refreshing, and hands down the best I've had. For tacos, I went with the lengua, carne asada, and lomo, simply topped with cilantro and onion. Each meat was tender, flavorful, and cooked to perfection, allowing the quality of the ingredients to speak for themselves. Tepalcates delivers where it matters most: fresh ingredients, beautifully prepared meats, excellent service, and authentic flavor. No gimmicks needed. This is what a great taqueria should be, and right now, it sits firmly at #1 on my Chicago list. read more

Tepalcates - lengua tacos , carne asada tacos - Tacos Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We stopped in on a Friday night, we were just passing by. I really have had a hard time finding a great taco spot. I just found it! The gentleman taking the orders was very personable and let us know everything was good on the menu and the guacamole is the best in town. He took our order, super friendly. We ordered the al pastor taco, the carne asada taco and the queso birria dinner. As drinks we had an amazing lime drink and a passion fruit drink both made fresh. The lime drink was a 10. The passion fruit was an 8 both very refreshing Our meals were served with 4 different hot sauces. One green which was great, 2 reds, and one made of sesame seeds. Overall they were different and good. The al pastor tacos were very good great flavor. The queso birria tacos i enjoyed those very much. Nice flavor, broth was flavorful and not too greasy. Unexpected stop but great place! Check them out if you're in the area. We will be back! read more

And who said the mid west doesn't know Mexican food? (Maybe it was me being from the west coast ) The reviews had my mouth drooling and my expectations were more than satisfied! FRESH FRESH FRESH! So much thought & love was poured into this food. You can literally taste it! The restaurant is small giving hole-in the wall vibes but the food taste 5 star high quality & fresh! All of the employees work together and are very friendly! I felt like I was being invited into a family's home for lunch! read more

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Went on a Saturday night, line out the door. Not a lot of places to sit, definitely not a "sit down" type of restaurant. More quick and go or takeout. We waited at least 30 Minutes for our 6 tacos, they were busy but it was still pretty long. The staff were very nice. The tacos were good, but I'm not a huge fan of corn tortillas. I have had better corn and flour tacos in Texas and California where I used to live. My date loved his, I thought they were a 3 out of 5. read more

Tepalcates - Assorted tacos - Tacos Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

So freakin good!!!! Can't wait to come back and try the potato burrito + more! The cauliflower burrito 10/10 Chips/guac 10/10 Horchata 10/10 Plus the customer service (Jose) was stellar! read more

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Small cozy interior with a great atmosphere. Service was great, and helped when it came to ordering, cause everything was looking good. The fruit drinks are fresh and well made. The tacos are the real standout each one unique with great flavor. The steak taco hit the hardest for me, smoky with good peppers and onions, but both of the others held their own too, don't sleep on them. If you're ever in the Chicago area, some of the best tacos I've had hands down. -Mr. read more

Tepalcates - Tacos Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great service, love their salsa selection, chips and guac was fresh and flavorful. I got the lomo taco and the brisket taco, meats were flavorful in both and generous portion sizes. Bonus for toddlers: they had high chairs and music videos playing while we visited. That combination ensured a peaceful lunch for parents and toddler, toddler also loved the Al pastor taco meat. read more

Amazing food! Looks like a small, unassuming restaurant from the front, but there is a separate seating area in the back for more groups. The owner and staff are personable, excited for new customers, and more than helpful if you need some assistance ordering. I'll be back to try the octopus/pulpo tacos as they were highly recommended! read more

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Our friend put us on to this last night and they ask you immediately if you had been before. If it's your first time, they give you samples of all the delicious drinks they offer. Horchata, guava, passion fruit and Mexican lemonade. I think it's a brilliant idea because I probably wouldn't have gotten a sugary drink normally. We got the guava and Mexican lemonade mixed. Lovely. The restaurant has passionate people working there! A friendly fellow had lots of pictures of the menu, suggestions and new cuisine we had not heard of before. Seemed like a family spot and just a simple restaurant. It was the end of the night so the floor was a little dirty and it was a lil dusty in the dining room but nothing that made me alarmed. I got the lomo torta which was sooo good but the bread did not hold up to all the goodies inside. I got a side of rice for the extra and was happy with that choice! My partner got the Cesina taco and some birria tacos and NO JOKE, the birria was best I've ever had. The guy told us but... you never know. He suggested an amazing soup we didn't know what it was but just went with it. Carne en su jugo and it came with tortillas. Lots of flavor and was nice and warm on a cold rainy night. We will be back! read more

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This is not by where I live and I will go out of the way to get here every month. Unassuming little storefront from the outside, and you're immediately welcomed in by the main man himself, Jose. He knew it was our first time so he gave us the whole rundown: showing us pictures on his phones of the top sellers, letting us try all of their homemade juices (the Mexican lemonade!!), and chatting with us for at least 15 minutes. This man could sell ANYTHING. His siblings were on the grill & gave us the top recommendations. I couldn't really tell you everything we ordered because we gave our first order and Jose said "no don't get those basic ones (Al pastor, carne asada), get these interesting ones". And you can't say no to Jose. The spices on the octopus were out of this world and the SAUCES?! He brought out 4 sauces varying in spice and all were so tasty and different. They recommended which sauce to go with which taco. 10/10 will absolutely be back. read more

Tepalcates - Far plate: Quesabirria tacos, thin steak taco, shredded steak taco Near plate: octopus taco, steak - Tacos Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My fiancé came here by chance, and he came home raving about the octopus taco. He said they recommended it, so the whole table he was with all ordered it. Everyone was pleasantly surprised. So, one day, he brought dinner home- I got the octopus, shrimp, and chicken Al pastor. They were exploding with flavor, and all their salsas were great. I couldn't believe how tender the octopus was! The guac was a tad salty for my preference, but still good. Prices are reasonable especially for the quality and flavors. Yum! read more

Tepalcates - Birria Ramen, Horchata, Chips and Guac, Tacos: Pollo Al Pastor, Gobernador (camaron/shrimp) and Pulpo (octopus pibil) - Tacos Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is my new go to for Mexican in Chicago We were first timers and to the owner was nice enough to let us try all the drinks (guava, Mexican lemonade, passion fruit) and give us the rundown on all the dishes they were best known for. We got: - nachos with suadero - cochinita and lomo tacos - quesabirria Good amount for 2 hungry people, and the food was incredibly high quality (11/10) and surprisingly pretty cheap! It was also a clean space with plenty of seating, good music, fans, and friendly workers tip for new comers: Let the owner recommend!! read more

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Best place in Chicago for tacos. Owner is awesome. Everything is awesome. Eat it all.

Tepalcates is a small and unassuming place. The food and service exceeded my expectations. Jose, mentioned in other reviews, immediately got to work on giving us samples of agua frescas and horchata, and went over their most popular dishes. When Jose says their dishes are the best, he's not exaggerating! The beef brisket taco was excellent. The drinks were all so good--I may need to go back soon for some horchata. The place started to get packed with a line out the door after 6pm so keep that in mind (we went on a Saturday). I'm glad to have tried out this family-owned restaurant! read more

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My tacos: Lengua - steam tongue Suadero - beef brisket confit Pulpo -(octopus pibil) marinated with special Yucatan pibil And we shared Chips n Guac I enjoyed all my tacos. Tongue and octopus were so tender and beef brisket was crispy and flavorful. Perfect portion of meats in each taco. Meats weren't greasy. Chips and guac were legit and plentiful. Passion Fruit Lemonade & Guava juice were refreshing and not terribly sweet. Manager/owner was very nice and helpful. Small amount of seating inside. Prices are on higher end but it was so good, I'd return. read more

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After years of driving past Tepalcates, I finally stopped by for dinner. The owner was super welcoming and made sure you knew about their signature dishes and salsas. If it's your first time here, expect samples of their refreshing homemade drinks! The Quesabirria and suadero taco I had were amazing! It's a cozy highly sought after neighborhood spot. Went on a weeknight and it got busy fairly quickly so expect a wait on weekends. read more

Tepalcates - Quesabirria and suadero - Tacos Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great flavors and generous portions. Service was quick and friendly. We'll definitely be coming back.

Great tacos and kind staff. I got the pollo al pastor and chorizo, both very flavorful without being too greasy. I really enjoyed the different salsas that were also flavorful and good consistency (not watery). Theres quieter seating in the back. Plenty of space for a group. FYI you can sample the drinks! Not my fave in the city, you can get better and cheaper in Pilsen but pretty solid still. I can see why it's a local fave up here. read more

Finally tried Tepalcates on a Sunday early evening for carry out. We went in and ordered after finding parking right in front of the restaurant. We got some carne asada tacos, pollo al pastor & pork al pastor tacos, a steak burrito, nachos & chips w/guac. Everything was seasoned well, cooked to order (which takes time but so worth waiting for) & very tasty. My guy has proclaimed that this is his new favorite spot. I was super happy about the pollo al pastor tacos because i'm allergic to pork. They have house made refreshing drinks & I plan to try some next time. The staff was cordial, attentive and offered some food suggestions. Everything that we saw being placed on the counter for diners eating in looked amazing. I have no pics today because we attacked the food as soon as we got home. read more

Family-owned Mexican restaurant with authentic recipes. The owner was very friendly and basically said everything was equally good. I had the octopus taco and beef brisket taco. Both of them had great flavors, but the beef one was a bit salty. You can tell all the ingredients are fresh and cohesive. read more

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The owner makes this place unforgettable. Even it's a small taco place. Super friendly and welcoming. Every single taco was excellent and worth a trip. read more

The tacos are good and the sauces for different class of meat is fire! A small diamond in the ruff location. read more

Outstanding. Dare you to find better quality authentic Mexican food... and Juan and his siblings are the best! Must try the Cesina and Quesabierra. read more

Amazing service! Great food! Cauliflower al pastor taco was insanely good. Rib eye taco was phenomenal. Flan coconut cake was a perfect ending to the meal. Tried the birra ramen. Delicious broth. read more

Tepalcates - Birra ramen - Tacos Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Best vegetarian burrito in Chicago, calling it now. I live nearby and have been wanting to check this spot out for awhile. The cauliflower al pastor sounded good and so I ordered this but in burrito form as well as their chips and guac. The burrito is massive, extremely flavorful and really well seasoned. No notes. It doesn't have a lot of heat (not a complaint) but they have incredible house made sauces you can add if you prefer a kick. I tried all of their salsas and I cannot pick a favorite-they're all complex and really delicious with varying heat levels. Their chips and guac are good-I prefer slightly salted chips so I added some salt at home, but it was fresh and a very generous serving. Service was really friendly. It's a small but sweet spot. I recommend trying out and supporting this local business! read more

I did takeout from here not long ago. I called in the order and it was ready before the promised time. The customer service here is truly one of its kind. The owner was very friendly and welcoming. You can tell he was really busy, made they sure that every customer left satisfied. He offered a couple of us that were waiting for our food, samples of their aguas frescas. They were all really tasty and would definitely recommend trying them, especially on a hot summer day. Although I really wanted to try to tacos, I don't like doing tacos for takeout because they get all soggy. We ordered Carne Asada Tortas. They were really delicious. Everything tasted fresh, the bread was soft, and the meat had great flavor. It unfortunately wasn't arrachera meat, they used regular taco meat instead, which is ok, but arrachera would have definitely made this already good tasting torta taste even better. They also had really good tasting salsas as well. Some were spicy some were ok, definitely worth trying all of them. I can definitely see myself returning to try their tacos. Will have to dine in for that. read more

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Food was amazing!! Customer service top tier! Even going the extra mile to explain each salsa it's the little things! Love definitely coming coming back! read more

Stopped in for the quesabirria tonight and it was soooo good. Staff is friendly, service is fast, and the restaurant is clean. Cannot say enough good things about the food, the reviews here won't steer you wrong. read more

Wow. I am so impressed by this place. It's easily just become my favorite place to get Mexican food. We grabbed a pretty large takeout order on a Monday for lunch. It was ready quickly in 20 minutes, and came out piping hot and everything was delicious. I truly am so impressed by the flavor in each item. I don't know how to explain this - everything felt authentic, yet had an incredible twist. Even the salsas, for example, were all so unique and flavorful. My favorite was the shrimp taco, but truly everything we tried was delicious. You can clearly see the staff really cares about what they are doing here. I can't wait to get back here and try more. read more

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The service is really what sets this restaurant apart! The owner was SO nice and friendly. The food was incredible as well, as soon as I got home I was texting my friends they need to go here! We also got the churros and the guava agua fresca, and those were both incredible! read more

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We enjoyed our meals, the dining room has a pleasant atmosphere, and I also enjoyed all the sunlight coming through their many windows! Wait staff was friendly & efficient, and the side helpers kept our table tidy for us. Thank You for a wonderful lunch, and we will definitely be back! read more

Might be the best tacos I've ever had which is crazy because all I eat is Mexican food. I will def be back for more!

Guys... I'm speechless. Incredible food, phenomenal atmosphere, employees so friendly, I'd call them family. You have to go. You really just have to. read more

Stopped in because I was in the area. Very very good food. The octopus tacos were outstanding. The quesbirria and steak tacos were also superb and loved the flavor of the vegetarian tacos. The owners were super nice!! Would def come back read more

"Try this! It is the best you've had..." says the owner as he passes you a sample of the horchata. "Try this! You've never had anything as good as lthis..." says the owner with a small cup of the passion fruits agua fresca. Entering this unassuming Mexican restaurant is akin to "Cheers" - the owner will know your name. If he doesn't, he will remember you the next time you come in. This is important for a small restaurant that cooks food like you are family. The small kitchen is open and a buzz. Music in the background smiles abound. The owner helps with you anything that may seem unfamiliar. If you're a regular, he recommends something new. The menu isn't extensive. It needn't be. Simple is good and the food is great. My sister and mom loves the birra tacos. (Yes, it was the best they ever had.) I had the pollo al pastor torta. It was delicious. Seasoned well, fresh tasting with a wonderfully light french bread. It was tasty but not filling. I easily wanted another. They churros were deliciously crispy. Yet, still light and never oily. They had a light drizzle of dulce de leche was nice touch. They would have been just as good plain. Yes, Tepalcates could be the best Mexican food that I have enjoyed. The owner will tell you this. I fully endorse his message! read more

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Amazing family owned Mexican restaurant with top quality meats and fresh ingredients in every dish. You can truly taste the care they put into their food. Generous portions, authentic flavors, and very reasonable prices. A great spot you'll want to keep coming back to! read more

Customer service was very nice and the food was seasoned well. Ordered octopus, shrimp, birria and ribeye tacos plus burrito. Chips and guac stole the show, shrimp tacos were good too. However, while we were eating something about my date's food, came back up. My date had to rush out of the restaurant. Disappointed and won't be returning, because I don't want to chance it. read more

Tepalcates - Tacos Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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RUN don't walk to Tepalcates! The staff is so friendly and welcoming (provided samples of their wonderful homemade drinks - the passion fruit & Mexican lemonade was awesome)! Their chips are outstanding! The quesabirrias tacos 10/10! The star of the show is the Birria Ramen, which is one of the best bowls of soup I've ever had 20/10!! read more

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I'll put it to you this way, I don't think I'll ever be able to go to another Mexican restaurant in Chicago, that is ever again! The food is not commercialized at all, this is authentic, homemade amazingness! read more